Did you know that there are between 6,000 and 7,000 languages currently in use? And did you know that it is expected that half of them will disappear in the near future? This is quite a scary thing to think about.

However, the good news is that there is a programme aimed at fighting this. It is called DEL – Documenting Endangered Languages – and it is sponsored by the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the National Science Foundation. The application for grants expires on the 20^th September, so you still have some time if you plan to apply for it!

Usually a language becomes endangered when parents are no longer teaching their children to speak it, which means that the idiom is not being passed on to future generations. Also, a very low number of speakers, lack of use in education, and even perhaps younger generations’ reluctance to speak it, are all factors that may endanger a language. What can be done to fight this phenomenon? Well, of course people cannot be forced to speak or learn a language, but it is possible to record and study an idiom. Hopefully, with programmes such as the DEL in place, we will be able to retain a grasp on the languages of the past, and even perhaps learn them and revive them!

If you liked this post, you might also find these related links quite interesting.  Happy reading!

http://www.neh.gov/grants/guidelines/del.html

http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/2094106/nearly_50_endangered_languages_to_be_digitally_documented/

http://www.endangered-languages.com/